Owning a dog during the holidays can present various challenges. The busyness of the holiday season can disrupt your normal routine, leading to less time for walks, playtime, and training. Decorations, presents, and extra food can pose risks to your furry friend, leading to potential accidents or illness. Traveling during the holidays can also be difficult, as finding pet-friendly accommodations or arranging care for your dog can be stressful. Additionally, the cold weather can make outdoor activities less enjoyable for both you and your pup. Despite these challenges, with proper planning and care, you can ensure that your dog enjoys a safe and happy holiday season.
1. Stick to your pet's routine as much as possible. The holidays can be a busy and stressful time, but try to keep your pet's feeding, walking, and playtime schedule consistent. This will help reduce their stress and anxiety.
Use of food dispensing toys for all meals. This will increase your pup's mental stimulation and help tire them out when you are preoccupied. We recommend stuffing rubber Kong toys, Busy Buddy toys, the West Paw Toppl, or use food dispensers such as the Kong Wobbler, Tug-A-Jug, Buster Cube, or Snoop.
Kill two birds with one stone ... incorporate training exercises into small daily interactions, use play to reinforce obedience training, use meals for lessons and walks!
Check out the Dog Pacer treadmill! It's a great way to provide exercise all year round, no matter the weather!
Remember: combining physical + mental activity is more draining to your dog than a run around the block. Try dabbling in tricks training, agility, competitive obedience, scent work ,heel work and other active ways to exercise your pet (even indoors!)
2. Create a safe space for your pet to retreat to. With guests coming and going, loud noises, and new smells, your pet may feel overwhelmed. Set up a quiet area in your home where they can go to relax and feel secure.
Go back to basics and work on crate training etiquette. If your dog has anxious tendencies, work on acclimation using baby gates and room dividers to give your dog a safe space.
Ensure your dog has a bed to retreat to and teach guests that their "charging pad" is off limits for interactions.
Capture and reward any offered good behavior. You can click and treat for calm, confident, and relaxed behavior!
Play sounds in the background to familiarize your pet with the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Get them used to commotion... the door opening and closing, cars pulling into the driveway, kids running around, pots banging etc.
3. Watch out for harmful foods and decorations. Many holiday foods can be toxic to pets, including chocolate, grapes, raisins, and onions. Make sure to keep these out of your pet's reach. Also, be mindful of decorations like tinsel, ornaments, and candles that could be dangerous if ingested or knocked over.
Now is the time to go back and practice the "leave it" command. Make sure to generalize and proof it in a variety of scenarios with multiple distractions.
Practice the "wait" command in reverse to keep your pet away from off-limit areas. You may even want to use masking tape, rugs, or naturally occurring thresholds to help define the space for your dog.
If training is not on the agenda ... using an exercise pen works in a pinch for successful management. Simply use the panels to keep your pet out of designated areas.
4. Practice proper introductions with guests. If your pet isn't used to being around a lot of people, take the time to introduce them slowly and give them space if they need it. Make sure guests know your pet's boundaries and how to interact with them.
This is the time to go back to the basics! Practice "sit/stay" for greetings, "place" for when groups gather, "leave it" to disengage from visitors, and "wait" to prevent bolting through doors.
Use tools and management! Have your dog's leash dragging for easy redirection or interruption where needed. Baby gates and tethers are excellent to help your dog decompress. Crates are a safe bet for pets that may feel overwhelmed or show signs of reactivity.
If your pet is fearful of visitors, make sure to NOT force interactions. It is absolutely OK for your pet to passively exist without direct contact from guests. If applicable, reward your dog for confident behavior ... but make sure not to exacerbate the issue by having strangers offer food.
5. Keep your pet's ID tags and microchip information up to date. With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, pets can easily get lost or escape. Make sure your pet has proper identification and that your contact information is current in case they go missing.
This is also a good time to review your pet's veterinary records and make plans to update any vaccines etc
Have you moved since your pet got their microchip? Change cell phone providers? Make sure to check in with the company that your contact info is up-to-date! Same goes for ID tags!
Take note of any special characteristics or markings your pet has to help people identify lost or stolen animals. This includes any scars, markings, patterns, or other identifying trait. Does your pet have extra dew claws? Any missing teeth?
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